Every couple has a story and we're pleased to share with you the stories of ten personalized Whatcom weddings. On boats, at barns and music festivals, couples shared their special day with friends and families and with us.

Our cover couple, Ariel and Andrew Valley, based their August fairy-tale wedding at Squalicum Boathouse. They're big fans of Disneyland and found unique ways to incorporate that magic into their wedding. And they topped it off with a honeymoon at Disney World in Florida.

"When we go to Disneyland, we're definitely children all over again. We really wanted to make our wedding something that was really fun and enjoyable and unique," Ariel told writer Zoe Fraley.

We also talked to local wedding professionals to share their insights on gowns, flowers, cakes and more.

Whatcom County issues about 1,300 wedding licenses annually, according to the auditor's office. That's a lot of celebrating. We'd love to hear about your 2012-13 Whatcom wedding for our next issue of Whatcom Weddings. We will gather stories in October, but you're welcome to send information and photos any time to newsroom@bellinghamherald.com.

Congratulations to this year's newlyweds. May you all have lives filled with magical moments.